From the Spirit of Tasmanias berth at Devonport to the rugged north-west corner of our island is a region of pretty villages, historic buildings, rocky shores, caves and fertile farmland. Life here is simple and sustaining hosts are welcoming, meals are generous and the cares of the 21st century seem a lifetime away.

Close to Devonport itself are the picturesque beaches of Port Sorell and the historic town of Latrobe, famous for its chocolates and platypuses.

The backdrop to the main part of your journey, however, is the Great Western Tiers, known to the Aboriginal people as Kooparoona Niara. Behind this enormous escarpment sits the protected World Heritage Area of mountains and valleys, lakes and forests. Beneath the surface are extensive limestone caves in the Mole Creek Karst National Park.

Mount Roland looms magnificently over fertile pastures around Sheffield, known as the town of murals, You can discover the history of the Kentish district from the murals themselves, or in local museums, but there are also many galleries and studies to browse in.

Along the coast, Penguin and Ulverstone have a seductive beachside charm, and even the industrial port of Burnie has transformed itself into a creative centre. Look for Creative Paper, Lactos Cheese factory and tasting centre, and then top it off with a visit to Hellyers Road Distillery to try its superb single-malt whiskey.

Follow the coast westward, beside Bass Strait: massive bluffs nudge out into the sea - Table Cape, just beyond Wynyard, flat-topped and fertile, with flowering tulips carpeting its fields in spring and Circular Head, where the historic village of Stanley sits leeside of the steep-sided Nut.

Overlooking Stanley is Highfield Historic Site, built in 1832 for the Van Diemen's Land Company's chief agent. Continue west to Smithton, centre for the regions productive agricultural and thriving forestry operations.

From Smithton, the highway begins its last leap westward to Arthur River and the legendary surfing beaches of Marrawah. On the far north-west tip is the historic property of Woolnorth and lands end is Cape Grim, where sea air, tested as the world's cleanest, sweeps in on the winds of the Roaring Forties.